Without hesitation, she shoved Lucas behind her, planting herself between the child and the animal. Her calm expression vanished, replaced by raw determination.
The dog lunged, stopping inches from her.
Emily didn’t scream. She raised one hand slowly, meeting the animal’s gaze. “Easy,” she said softly. “You don’t want to hurt anyone. Go home.”
The dog hesitated. Its growl softened. After a long, breathless moment, it turned and leapt back over the fence, disappearing.
Lucas collapsed against Emily, crying. She knelt, wrapped him in her arms, and whispered until he calmed.
Hidden among the roses, Charles felt something inside him shatter. His test had revealed more than loyalty—it revealed courage.
That night, alone in his study, he removed the disguise. The clothes lay on the floor, heavy with shame. He had doubted the one person who had risked everything for his son.
Yet the truth uncovered more.
Continuing the charade, Charles noticed whispers among staff and a sharp edge in his sister Olivia Whitmore’s voice whenever she spoke about Lucas’s future.